The Giver’s Brenton Thwaites is on a roll

Brenton Thwaites

Here is a background check on Aussie actor Brenton Thwaites who stars in The Giver.

Distinguishing features: He played Prince Phillip in Angelina Jolie’s Disney fantasy Maleficent, Nic in the sci-fi flick The Signal and Tim Russell in the thriller Oculus. His Jonas role opposite Jeff Bridges in The Giver is his first lead in a U.S. studio production.

The 25-year-old has more to come in 2014. He co-stars in the surfing comedy Ride and the crime drama Son of a Gun and he completed the adventure fantasy Gods of Egypt set for release in 2016.

What he thinks of his rising star status in Hollywood: “I have to pinch myself every day,” said Thwaites during an interview.“Every movie has its uniqueness. You just do your best and go with it.”

Giving to The Giver: Thwaites thrived on the South African set of The Giver, which is based on Lois Lowry’s children’s novel set in a post-dystopian world.As a singer and guitarist, he would often jam with musician Bridges during their time off.

Bridges became a fan of the actor and expects to see great things from him in the future.“Brenton has that special thing,” said Bridges. “And he listens and watches and you can tell he’s taking everything in.”

The Down Under connection: Phillip Noyce, The Giver director, is an Australian, as well. Occasionally, the two Aussies would lapse into the nuances of their native land, baffling the cast and crew.“We did have our special language,” confirmed Noyce.

“If it was a bad (take) he would say, ‘Mate,’” recalled a smiling Thwaites. “If it was good, he would say, ‘Mate.’ But only I knew what he was really saying.”

I am the Postmedia News movie writer and canada.com columnist. I prepare features and profiles stars of major motion pictures, including Robert Downey Jr., George Clooney, Brad Pitt, and Julia Roberts... read more. Previously, I was a movie writer for Postmedia's National Post. I was at the George Lucas farm near San Francisco to report on the last Star Wars picture, Revenge of the Sith. I was in New York for the first preview of Peter Jackson's King Kong remake. And I have been up close and personal with high profile A-listers such as Cameron Diaz, Matt Damon, Jennifer Aniston and many others. Before that, I was a sleep-deprived pop music writer and critic, a film writer and reviewer, and entertainment editor at the Toronto Sun. I also worked at CBC as a writer and producer, and was one of five writers selected to produce the script for the CBC's Canada For Asia live tsunami benefit broadcast in 2005.View author's profile